13 Apr 2012
by venessa harris
in CILIP, Infobyte, Librarian, Metadata management, Professionalism
Tags: cataloguing, Cilip, metadata management, Professionalism
Information Governance: the way that organisations handle and process information within a strict framework of standards and best practice.
Enforceable principles of data protection good practice:
- fairly and lawfully processed
- processed for limited purposes
- adequate, relevant and not excessive
- accurate
- not kept longer than necessary
- processed in accordance with the data subjects rights
- secure
- not transferred to countries without adequate protection
So, I just wanted to give a medical receptionists perspective on information governance, or a day in the life of a medical receptionist!
This will not be what you’re expecting!
Tasks throughout the day starting early around 7.45am (this can vary in Practices):
- Opening the practice – this includes practical tasks as opening the main doors, room doors, and turning on pcs, logging in to the database
- Preparing ‘free’ appointments for that days Doctors clinics
- Retrieving samples (and you know what I mean by samples) from the fridge ready for the courier to collect
- Answering the ‘emergency’ phone throughout the day – this is an alternative telephone line for hospitals, ambulances, paramedics and Doctors
- Receiving calls for appointments, enquiries about results, chasing hospital appointments such as MRI scans, Xrays etc and physiotherapy
- Issuing repeat prescriptions
- Dealing with emergencies within the surgery and over the phone
- Challenging Doctors on behalf of the patients to receive alternative/extra medication at their request, and/or telephone consultations
- Organising secure appointment for violent patients
- Dealing with insurance forms etc that patients continually need to be processed
- Retrieving and replacing paper records for the Doctors (on behalf of Doctors) – and thats very much the ‘library’ bit
- Updating patient records with any information received from Devon Doctors or Out of Hours Doctors visits or consultations
- Organising home visits by Doctors, and District Nurse appointments
- Updating patients records who are on Warfarin – receiving INR results, organising dosing by a Doctor, completing the records, informing the patients, and arranging the District Nurse with the relevant completed blood forms
- Arranging Baby Immunisations on time, regular cervical smears and organising regular asthma reviews, COPD and healthy heart reviews as well as smoking cessation clinics
- Medical Receptionists are constantly appeasing both the Nurses and Doctors throughout the day, and dealing with their emotional needs by way of pastisserie succour!
In the first hour of the day we answer around 50 calls per telephone – thats almost 1 per minute. This continues throughout the day, slowing up around lunchtime and then rising back up around 4pm. This can vary between Practices.
Telephone call examples:
1. Can I make an appointment
2. I’ve taken all of my sleeping pills and want to kill myself
3. Drunk – I need some painkillers
4. My baby has a temperature of 40C
5. My son died last night can you help me
6. The coroners office
7. I’ve got a rash can someone call me
8. Can you put me through to Doctor x, he said to call any time
9. Is there anyone in this surgery who can change an artificial eye
10. I gave you a repeat presciption to do yesterday, why isn’t it ready?
11. Its the District Nurse I can’t get the patient to open the door
12. I’m a paramedic with your patient, can I speak to the Doctor
This is just an example of telephone calls/enquiries that we receive every 2-5minutes of the day.
I was recently at a party where once someone discovered I was a medical receptionist they made the sign of the cross at me, and said that we are evil! I personally think that we have to think on our feet every 2 minutes for a different situation and we do the best we can both to be ‘emotional appropriate’, and abide by the rules of information governance.
Information Governance for health Information Professionals:
The April 2012 edition of Cilip Update includes some information on KM for health professionals that is extremely interesting – probably because essentially I am a Librarian and Medical Receptionist second. In my role, I’m constantly thinking about the database and how we can use standardised metatdata to make records management more effective.
This got me thinking about the skills set that MRs as Information professionals have and use on a daily basis:
- Records management including metadata, data input, controlled health anacronyms, and classification system
- Customer service
- Medical references and basic knowledge of surgery/medical practice standard medical procedures
- maintaining and daily use of the surgery management system
- Liaising with other medical services such as Midwives, District Nurses, Care Homes, Paramedics and Coroners Office
- Effective best practice in information management – use of information, access to, adequate, relevant and not excessive
- Security – information security as well, patient security and personal security at work (abuse can be a daily occurrance)
I was surprised to discover that MRs did so much information management. Answering the telephone is a percentage of the role. The call before yours may have been a distressed mental health patient who has just taken an overdose. Remaining objective is a big challenge and completely necessary to remaining sane.
02 Nov 2011
by venessa harris
in CILIP, Libraries, Professionalism
Tags: Cilip, CPD23Things, job satisfaction, librarianship, Professionalism, social media
Plymouth Event: CPD23 ‘Real life networking’ meet up on Friday 30th September The Bank, Plymouth City Centre
Finally……the reflection!
This summer saw information professionals from all over the world take part in ’23 things for professional development’, an online programme hosted by several new professionals outlining 23 ‘Things’ that would be useful personal development for any information professional and as part of this, a few of us in the Plymouth area decided it would be nice to meet other’s in the profession for an informal get together.
This was a gathering intended to be not only for CPD23ers no matter what ‘Thing’ people were up to, but also for all or any librarians, library assistants or any conjugation or derivative of that.
The event was arranged by Annette Earl, Claire Beck and Venessa Harris, and despite the fact that we believed we may be the only three attendees, we actually had an ideal group of seven – a mixed ‘bunch’ from Cornwall and Plymouth. Represented were Looe Library, Marjons (University College Plymouth, St Mark & St John), Plymouth University, Plymouth Central Library, and Lipson Community College. The event was actually a casual meet up, so although work places were mentioned, we focused on our own perspectives of what was happening in the library and information sphere currently. It was an extremely useful bonding exercise to have a face to face meet up – a few of us use Twitter to communicate with other professionals, and the practical use of this social media tool in terms of information sharing was discussed in a positive way. We also talked about ‘Library’ qualifications. These are of course mostly information qualifications now, although they are still seen by some as de-valued due to impending Library closures. At the moment in this country, there are 400 Libraries under threat of closure, and all staff involved are actively having to prove their worth as adaptable and flexible personnel, who have a wide and useful skills set. We also discussed CILIP, and the specialised groups, in particular the Career Development Group, and Chartership. Those of us that are members of CILIP are trying to find ways to become more involved, but also to actually seek out what CILIP are doing for us! Around the table there were a few differences, but it was noted that CILIP should be opened up to other related professions within information and knowledge management. We all agreed we would like a progressive leadership but also that we would like it to remain professional.
On the whole, this was a great way to chew the library fat, have a bit of a rant, and also get some mutual support for what lies ahead. Several of us exchanged details so that we can do the whole thing all over again!
If you would be interested in coming along to our next meet-up please email venessaharris@gmail.com
We hope to see you there!
31 Oct 2011
by venessa harris
in CILIP, Infobyte, Professionalism
Tags: Cilip, GCHQ, Information Management, job satisfaction, librarianship, library management system, LIS skills, positive advocacy, Professionalism
This months (October 2011) CILIP Update included a piece about GCHQ: Official site of the UK Government Communications Headquarters which is the centre for Her Majesty’s Government’s Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) activities. These are my thoughts.
‘I don’t recruit a records manager, or legislation experts, or web content managers, I recruit information professionals. Understand that I am looking for people who are flexible, and agile, and prepared to USE the skills common to all these roles.’ Karen mcFarlane, Head of Profession, GCHQ
Passionate about CPD, Karen encourages her staff at GCHQ to charter and revalidate (CILIP). She says that many of the group are trained CILIP mentors. There are recruitment bonuses for people who charter and an hour a week for professional development. There is also a KIM ‘career stream’ at GCHQ. These are good incentives!
“There are many misconceptions about working at GCHQ. We know from experience that some people think we’re somehow a ‘secret’ business, where brainy ‘boffins’ work in darkened rooms, talk in hushed tones and avoid contact with the outside world. Others watch popular TV shows like ‘Spooks’ and take it at face value. The reality is of course rather different.” (Life at GCHQ)
So with this in mind, I wondered if we could talk about how CILIP responds to this type of progressive and broad skills set, which moves away from aiming at a specific role within libraries.
Currently, at CILIP, we cite the items below as essential LIS skills:
- develop the specialised subject knowledge of the sector you work in
- understand and use appropriate technology and systems to select, organise and find material relevant to your users
- keep up to date with advances in technology and social media
- develop the information literacy of your users
- produce information alerting services
- work as part of a team
- use effective communication and interpersonal skills
- deliver high levels of customer service skills
I think that ones outlined by Sue Myburgh, Susie Kay, and even Jennifer Marie Eustis are more relevant* Here’s what I think:
- Use effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Be familiar with at least one integrated library/information management system and main types of classification schedules
- Understand and use appropriate technology and systems to select, organise and find material relevant to your users
- Keep up to date with advances in technology AND social media
- Knowledge of encoding of content designation (MARC21 and other schema) including knowledge of XML
- Knowledge of institutions ILS including maintenance, record loads, and other administrative database tasks
- Personal resilience
- Multi tasking
- Horizon scanning as well as reflective practice
- CPD passionate
- Professionalism
*Sue Myburgh (2005) The New Information Professional. Chandos: England
Susie Kay (2010) Professionalism The ABC for success. Professionalism Books: England
Jennifer Marie Eustis (2010) Conversations with Catalogers in the 21st Century. Libraries Unlimited: England
24 Oct 2011
by venessa harris
in CILIP, Librarian, Libraries, Professionalism
Tags: CPD23Things, High Visibility Cataloguing, job satisfaction, librarianship, positive advocacy, Professionalism, reflection, social media, twitter
CPD23 has been an excellent online personal development programme, and in reviewing my initial goal I think its time that I wrapped this thing up…..
- Firstly, I already used several social media tools to gain a network of contacts. I wanted to review why I want contacts and how I can use them.
- I was hoping to find advice or suggestions to help me build a feedback culture in my team
- Also by discussion – how to embed professionalism in my team
- To discuss the future and development of my role
- To suggest tools for professional development and how they can work for me
- I also wanted to participate in cpd23 for a review of tools for getting organised and for presenting information
- I also wanted to develop my self-awareness – identify my strengths and using them, why and how
- Finally, it was also an opportunity to work together with a small group of colleagues on something that none of us have done before
With hindsight, this was quite a large premis. Not everything was successful but that doesn’t mean that I’ve failed! Colleagues peeled away as time went on, and the face to face networking event that was more generic than my workplace was actually a really positive and useful ‘thing’ to do. New tools, or in reviewing the social media tools that I already use, has been an extremely useful exercise. This is ongoing, and with some discussion (online) with others, I feel that I am moving forwards with this. Embedding professionalism is hard. I think we have to understand our roles before we can do this. Professionalism for me, should start with a wider picture of your industry or trade, in other words for us, what is happening in the library sphere. Without this basic interest, what are we?
So, on a really positive note, self-awareness has been in abundance, so much so that I am now leaving my current role (forecasting using statistics) in order to write more about libraries, and do some library advocacy. A strange thing to have to do I hear you say, but given a choice (and I felt the time had come to make that choice), I choose Libraries! I’m looking forward to having the liberty to do this now……
One of the huge things I’ve got out of cpd23 is Reflective Practice! I’ve even capitalised it because thats how I feel about it. I’ve done a bit of this before, but will now keep it up, as I try to research and read more about library futures.
20 Oct 2011
by venessa harris
in Infobyte, Librarian, Professionalism
Tags: blogroll, Information Management, job satisfaction, librarianship, peer support, positive advocacy, Professionalism, reflection, social media, Susie Kay
Information and knowledge management people are a hardy bunch. What I didn’t know was ahead of me when I embarked on this journey 10 years ago was this:
Information management people have to be resilient in terms of skills and mindset. We are intrepid.
Get noticed. Be professional.
Express yourself. Engage and give feedback.
Try to be visible outside of your ‘echo chamber’.
You will always have to justify what you do to people both at work, and to your friends. Positive advocacy. Show everyone what you are worth!
Always remember your future is your responsibility.
Market yourself. This is now a necessary part of your job.
Share. Communicate your ideas and thoughts.
Motivate others. Lead. Promote positive thoughts.
Don’t panic, and don’t despair.
Its a sure fact that we’re all having to promote ourselves and libraries (thank you government for devaluing librarianship), and its also a sure fact that we should start in our own institutions. With the announcement of further restructures due to changes in HEFCE funding (Universities), proving your worth is key.
10 Oct 2011
by venessa harris
in CILIP, Infobyte, Librarian, Metadata management, Professionalism
Tags: cataloguing, CIG, Cilip, CPD23Things, High Visibility Cataloguing, metadata management, positive advocacy, Professionalism
As part of High Visibility Cataloguing I wanted to take some good ideas from the posts from Rachel Care and Lynne Dyer and bullet point them into ways to be a visible cataloguer or metadata person! Now everyone probably knows by now that I’m not a metadata practitioner anymore, but instead I work with statistics to develop service improvement. Interestingly, it is this new role that has made me realise even more significantly, the reasons for talking about and justifying what you as cataloguers and metadata practitioners do. So, without further ado:
- Join a committee (and not necessarily a library based one) so that you can talk about the value of cataloguing/information design
- Present a session on cataloguing to all interested staff
- Use statistics to demonstrate how much cataloguing/description is done and put them on to the work Bulletin. You can also use these stats to show how your service has improved!
- Have an open day at the cataloguing department
- Write case’s for business processes reviews of certain work flows e.g identify and review wastage areas. Be proactive!
- Get involved with/engage with, Voices for the Library/Savelibraries – write a blog post about the reasons for having/saving your cataloguing department
- Join CIG/CDG - USE the facilities and ADVOCATE them
- Come over to HVCats and share your ideas with other cataloguers
A final note would be to engage with things like CPD23 Things for Professional Development and talk about cataloguing.
04 Sep 2011
by venessa harris
in Librarian, Libraries, Metadata management, Professionalism
Tags: CPD23Things, High Visibility Cataloguing, Professionalism
I have noticed that my #cpd23 posts are becoming shorter and shorter, and I’m wondering if this is part of my original goal – that of working out why I engage with some of the tools listed in the programme.:
Thing 12: Putting the social into social media – I use Twitter, I feel as though I am part of a community. As part of High Visiblity Cataloguing, we have definitely used it to work together and promote cataloguing awareness
Thing 13: Google docs, wikis and dropbox – again google docs perfect for collaborative work, and myself and Celine started off HVCats using google docs working out how to present ‘our case’ etc. Dropbox is a relatively new tool to me (about 8 months) and is perfect for online back ups!
Thing 14: Zotero/mendeley/citeulike – I work in an academic library, I have access to Endnote
Thing 15: Attending, presenting at and organising events & conferences – Hmm difficult. Attending definite benefits to, but it does help if your employer supports this
Thing 16: Advocacy, speaking up for the profession – As part of HVCats we are an awareness initiative for cataloguers and metadata fairies. I have also shown support for Cilip on several occasions through my blog, and a lot more often than that at my place of work!
I am still working out what I am gaining from this programme so excuse the lack of in depth engagement.
If you are interested in starting any online advocacy, why not take a look at HVCats. We have a new guest page by Susie Kay, Professionalism guru. Come and take a look!
24 Aug 2011
by venessa harris
in Professionalism, Scarlettlibrarian
Tags: CPD23Things, job roles, job satisfaction, Professionalism, Stanford 1971
So, the Stanford prison experiment may be one of the best known psychology experiments especially as it ended somewhat prematurely and dramatically. The experiment is widely cited and examined in psychology programs online and in universities nationwide. Mainly because, the notion of switching roles, and how quickly and easily people engaged with their new roles without retaining any of their personal experiences is frightening. Why am I thinking about this? Because despite personally feeling that a ‘them and us’ physical barrier as well as mental barrier in our team would be detrimental and lets face it, antiquated (I am a ‘them’ and previously an ‘us’), this is what the team leader wants us to revert back to. Actually I’m not so blind as to see that as humans we naturally do this anyway from as early as the playground. Its almost as if to bond, we have to find a common enemy ‘them’, and in doing so, we create a safe community, and we behave accordingly. Almost 2 years ago I applied for a job within my team which meant I made the leap from producer (placing orders, receiving goods, cataloguing) to administrator (manager, leader), however I have tried to hold on and have empathy for how the producers work and what their needs are. What language do I speak? applies more now than ever. So anyone…..if you had to reverse roles, go ‘back to the shop floor’ or ‘head for the dizzy heights’ how do you think you would react? Do the ideas we have of what we would do if we had the authority just turn into unrealistic fantasies? Do the ideas we have of how we would behave and work as a producer also become fantasies?
Many films have been made about switching roles, usually romantic comedies, but usually the person is thrust into a role they desire and then feel they have to behave as society expects or as a stereotype, but never within the boundaries of their own experience. Interesting.
22 Aug 2011
by venessa harris
in Infobyte, Libraries, Professionalism
Tags: books, CPD23Things, librarianship, Libraries, positive advocacy, Professionalism, social media, twitter
I have been inspired to write a follow up post to What constitutes ‘library’? after its slightly controversial reception, positive comments and appearance in the Cilip Information World Weekly e-Bulletin. I wonder how many people are lovers of books and without calling it something new that I heard in a slippery slope Daytime TV moment – ‘Objectum sexuality’ - who really appreciate the building blocks of the ingredients that go into a book, as well as the infinite outcomes/benefits as seen below:
I use Twitter. End of. Here are the 3 tweets that inspired this post:
randomhouse (@randomhouse)15/08/2011 19:15
Bibliophile porn – The Towering Book Stack
AbeBooks (@AbeBooks) 15/08/2011 19:29
A top video of a book being handmade. Warning: Kindle owners may become confused by some scenes. #realbooks
Gary (@ggnewed) 12/08/2011 23:38
Photo: Alice in Wonderland: Read a book on the bus & be miles away. fairytalemood
So, in short, look at this!! An art installation of books (this could arguably be a library but I’ll leave it there), the art of a handmade book - a rare object, and the joys of how reading can transport you to distant lands (imaginary or otherwise).
‘Books are sexy’
09 Aug 2011
by venessa harris
in Infobyte, Librarian, Libraries, Scarlettlibrarian
Tags: books, cataloguing, Cilip, classification, collection management, Facet publishing, Librarian, librarianship, Libraries, Libraries without Walls, LibraryThing, LoC, The Travelling Suitcase Library, Voices for the Library
“A shelf of books in a village hall is not a library. A phonebox full of books is not a library. A pub with some books is not a library.”
Over the weekend, an esteemed tweep posted his thoughts on what is not a library after reading the report in the guardian about how libraries will rely on volunteers to survive. Maeve Kennedy states that:
More and more books will be distributed from shops, churches and village halls, predict local government and library bodies.
Unfortunately, we are battling to save our public libraries.
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals estimates that a fifth of all library service points could close, with staff cut by up to 6,000.
I want to save libraries. I want to continue to have the facilities that my public libraries provide me with. What I don’t want to become, is snobbish about what constitutes a library. So this post isn’t about knocking any of the work that Cilip and Voices for the Library are doing to save libraries, this is just perhaps a more capricious and very personal take on what constitutes ‘library’.
Here are my thoughts:
So how about this -
The Travelling suitcase library is a unique notion, I have seen it written about on blogs, and even in a Cilip publication, and most definitely on tweets. The idea of a suitcase of books acting as a library and distributed from the local pub, the community hall, or the beer festival - wherever it may be needed. It is not a static building, but it does only contain print copies (of course!). It does have a
manifesto of principles. To me, this is still a ‘library’.
Before I go on to the next example, consider this – are 30 subject books on a shelf in an academics office not a library? Does the word ‘library’ have to mean walls? Does it have to mean all facilities? Does it have to mean all formats? I don’t believe it does. I don’t think
LibraryThing believes it does either. After all, their ad line is
‘enter what you’re reading or your whole library’. A home for your books.a collection of books and periodicals held in a library
a room in a private house where books are kept
a series of books or recordings issued by a company as a set
a collection of films, recorded music, etc., organized systematically and kept for research or borrowing:a record library
These borrowed lines from Oxford dictionaries definition highlights 2 things for me: organized and collection……….
Library of Congress Gateway to Knowledge
‘The truck, staffed and driven by two docents well-versed in the Library and its collections, parks at various universities, libraries, community centers and other public venues’.
Thats not all……Libraries without Walls – are collections of e-resources not a ‘library’ then?
One last thought on this would be that the notion of ‘library’ and librarianship is evolving. Although it is good to fight to hold on to the facilities that enhance our community, our lifestyle, we also need to look for opportunities in what is coming. Let’s start to think outside of the box. It is our service that is important to all of us.
And finally. When I’m sitting in my small room with wall to wall books, in my LaZy Boy recliner, glass of wine, book in hand and cat on lap, Hugh Laurie’s Let Them Talk playing softly, I will most definitely be sitting in my Library.
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